Chapter 870: One Cannot Live Only for Oneself

The bird demon's name was also common, because its master was named Mingyi, so it was called Chongtian, symbolizing soaring straight to the heavens.

After hearing this, Pan Yun fell silent for a moment, then continued stroking the feathers on its neck to bond with it: "A fitting name."

The bird demon blew a puff of air at her, turned around, and presented its rear end to her.

Master Xuanmiao turned and walked away: "Don't tease it—it needs Kai Zhi Dan for its cultivation now, won't betray us, come heal your wounds."

Upon hearing this, Pan Yun immediately retracted her hand and hurried after her, faithfully—she just feared it would rebel during battle.

The large black bird watched the two leave, lifted its foot and followed, descending the hillside, then simply squatted at the cave entrance, blocking the last scraps of cold wind.

Inside the cave, Tao Ji also opened his eyes, his face still pale, lips devoid of any color.

Seeing Pan Yun, he couldn't help but smile: "Little sister has come?"

Pan Yun sat across from him: "Senior brother, why are you suffering so heavily?"

Tao Ji touched his chest and said: "Didn't notice—I got punched straight through the chest, but luckily I had the life-saving pill from Senior Brother One, which saved me in time."

Seeing her face was pale, her lips white—clear signs of suffering heavily, depleted qi and blood—he felt pity: "How did you get injured so badly too?"

Pan Yun also touched her chest: "I met a big lama—his cultivation was at the peak of the First Marquis, just short of the Second Marquis, but he didn't come out ahead either; his injuries were worse than mine."

Master Xuanmiao: "Is that something to be proud of?"

She frowned at her: "Your Upper Dantian is stronger than others', not to mention your meridians are wider, your Baihui Palace even more exceptional—yet your virtue qi has turned dull, your karmic sins cling to you, your Upper Dantian is hollow, your meridians blocked—all because you fought a First Marquis peak?"

Tao Ji explained: "Your fourth senior sister has always challenged higher-level opponents; this time when we went to challenge Mingying Sect, we encountered two First Marquises."

Pan Yun: "... Didn't that just drag out their Laozu?"

Tao Ji wore an expression of proud accomplishment.

Pan Yun felt a pang of discomfort, yet her heart ached sharply with guilt: "Senior brother, senior sister, this was too reckless—you went after the entire Mingying Sect just for my sake..."

"It wasn't for you," Master Xuanmiao shifted uncomfortably, turning her gaze elsewhere, expressionless: "We've raided Mingying Sect before; this time we went also to find medicine, not entirely for you."

Tao Ji smiled at Pan Yun, softly: "Though we were injured going to Mingying Sect, it was worth it—we found the medicine we've been searching for."

"Is it the medicine to cure Senior Brother Zhang?"

Tao Ji nodded with a smile, pulled out a pile of vials from his space, picked and chose three for her: "This one repairs the Upper Dantian and meridians, this one restores qi and blood, this one restores primordial energy—all ingredients are compatible, can be taken together for better effect."

Since they formulated the prescription and brewed the pills themselves, they'd already accounted for every scenario, so every herb used was perfectly suited.

Since Tao Ji said they could be taken together, Pan Yun poured out three round, gleaming pills at once, one by one shoving them into her mouth.

The medicine surged into her organs, and Pan Yun immediately sat cross-legged into meditation.

Tao Ji casually poured out three pills and offered them to Master Xuanmiao.

Master Xuanmiao frowned slightly.

Tao Ji hurriedly said: "There's more—after I finish these, I'll recover a bit, then buy more herbs and brew again. Now is a time of turmoil—you must recover quickly."

Master Xuanmiao recalled: yesterday, because she'd neglected her own injuries, she hadn't protected Tao Ji, letting that bald monk land a punch on him.

The Mingying Sect matter—the lamas had to meddle. Master Xuanmiao's face darkened for an instant, then she reached out, took the pills, and swallowed them directly.

Tao Ji then swallowed one healing pill himself, and the three sat facing each other, taking pills to heal.

The night passed in silence; when sunlight entered the cave, Pan Yun opened her eyes.

She looked down at her palm, sensed the primordial energy within, and smiled faintly.

Though this healing pill wasn't as potent as Senior Brother One's life-saving medicine, it still restored her considerably.

Pan Yun's lips regained some color; she looked toward Master Xuanmiao and Tao Ji across from her.

Both still had their eyes tightly shut, spiritual energy swirling around them—clearly still in deep meditation.

Pan Yun quietly watched them for a while, then rose without a word and stepped out of the cave.

The large black bird guarding outside instantly stretched its head out from under its wings, its round eyes fixed on Pan Yun's chest.

Pan Xiaohei seemed to sense it, poked its head out from Pan Yun's collar, glanced at the large black bird, then withdrew again.

The rapid loss of virtue, the newly accrued sins, and the pressure from Heaven made it deeply uncomfortable—if it weren't so reluctant to abandon this cat body, it would have long retreated into its true form, letting Pan Yun bear the rejection force alone.

Perhaps because Pan Yun has meddled too deeply in mortal politics lately, some events have accelerated: those who should have died didn't, while those who shouldn't have died are dying one by one—causing Heaven to perceive them as two massive bugs...

No, not right—Pan Yun isn't a bug, because she was born normally; it's just that when she was born, it was present, so she retained her past-life memories—it's the bug.

Pan Xiaohei is now in great discomfort, physically and mentally, feeling a constant, crushing sense of annihilation.

It knows clearly: it needs virtue!

To continue existing in this world, to remain conscious, it must acquire vast amounts of virtue.

It has no idea what its former master was thinking—sealing it away with such a complex array.

It feels that if more sins accumulate, if virtue and sins can no longer balance, it will be permanently sealed, returning to chaos.

But it glanced at Pan Yun, and stayed silent—it knew Pan Yun knew too.

And now is not the same as before; it trusts Pan Yun!

It is certain she won't let it be sealed away again—so when the large black bird provoked it, it merely looked down at it with disdain and withdrew, its gaze regal.

It doesn't even worry about Xiao Hong or Sister Hong Yan—why worry about some half-baked demon that showed up out of nowhere?

Just a hired hand—worthless.

The large black bird widened its eyes, seeing Pan Xiaohei retreat, couldn't resist pecking at it—only to have its beak seized by Pan Yun.

She smiled, flipped onto the large black bird's back, and was about to take off when she saw Master Xuanmiao standing at the cave entrance.

The two senior sisters locked eyes for a moment; Pan Yun said: "Take good care."

Master Xuanmiao: "You are deeply sinful—consider yourself more."

She looked up at the dark, brooding sky toward the southeast, and said gravely: "Changing the nation's fate may not be good for you—still time to turn back. With your ability, even gradual progress won't be slow."

Pan Yun: "But one cannot live in this world forever only for oneself—I hope this land we live on grows better, and all who share this sky grow better too."

Pan Yun said: "Once I've decided to do something, I won't regret it."